Railway track switch connecting mechanism



June 18, 1940. H. L. BONE RAILWAY TRACK SWITCH CONNECTING MECHANISM Filed NOV. 15, 1959 INVENTQR Herb 12.190120. BY

HHIHHHHH HIS ATTORN EY Patented June 18, 1940 PATENT OFF-ICE.

RAILWAY TRACK SWITCH CONNECTING MECHANISM Herbert L. Bone, Forest Hills, Pa., assignor to The Union Switch & Signal Company,

Swiss-vale,

Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November'15, 1939, Serial No. 304,524 4 Claims. (01. area-253) My invention relates to railway track switch connecting mechanisms of the type employed. to connect a railway switch circuit controller to a connecting rod operatively connected with a switch point. I

It is customary in railway signaling to em ploy a switch circuit controller, which is operatively connected with the point of a railway track switch, to detect the position of the point with respect to the associated track rail. The switch circuit controller ordinarily is employed to control a signal or signals governing traffic over the switch. In order to provide the utmost protection for railway traffic operating over the switch, it is desirable that relatively small movements of the switch point be detected by the circuit controller. It is obvious, therefore, that any lost motion between the switch point and the switch circuit controller is extremely undesizable, inasmuch as such lost motion would permit a movement of the point without causing the switch circuit controller to register such movement. Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a novel and improved connecting mechanism in which lost motion between the parts thereof is absorbed automatically as it occurs.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved construction of connecting mechanism by means of which the weight of the connection and the cost of manufacture are materially reduced.

A further object of my invention is the provision of improved switch circuit controller connecting mechanism constructed in such manner as to eliminate danger of breakage of the connecting mechanism and/or the connecting rod d us to v vibrational shock,

The above-mentioned and other important objects which will become apparent from the fol-- lowing description of my invention I propose to achieve by operatively connecting the connecting rod to an adjustable member constructed with a recess disposed laterally oiiset with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rod. The recess in the said member is enclosed by means of another member operatively connected with the rod, and resilient means is disposed in the recess for maintaining constant engagement between the connecting rod and a bolt secured to the switch point whereby lost motion in the connection due to the wear of the parts is prevented by virtue of the action of the resilient means. In addition, the particular arrangement of the parts employed is such that the weight of the connection is reduced to a minimum and protection is afforded against breakage due to severe shocks and jars.

I shall describe one form of connecting mechanism embodying my invention, and shall then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a view showing diagrammatically a connecting mechanism embodying my invention inconjunction with a switch circuitcontroller and its associated switch point. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view illustrating a preferred form of the connecting mechanism embodying my invention represent ed in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2. Fl 4 is an end view of member 15 and bolt 2.3 shown in Figs.

3 and 4.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the reference character 8 designates an ordinary railway track tie which supports a track rail 9. Operating in ogmjunction with track rail 9 is a switch point II], which is operatively connected in any suitable manner with a switch circuit controller connecting rod ll. Connecting rod II is connected through the medium of novel connecting mechanism embodying my invention and presently to be described in detail, with an operating crank arm 52 secured to an operating shaft l3. The operating shaft l3 extends into and is operatively connected with the operating element of a switch circuit controller 14, which is supported on and secured to tie 8.

The form of mechanism for connecting crank arm l2 with connecting rod II is best shown in Fig. 2. Referring now to Fig. 2, connecting rod l l is provided with a threaded end portion which is screwed into a tapped hole 25 formed in an adjustable member i5. Member I5 is provided with a cylindrical recess i6 and with a tap hole ll, both of which are laterally offset with respect to the longitudinal axis of connecting rod H. The open end of recess I8 is disposed facing the adjacent extremity of rod H, and is provided on either lateral side with a slotted opening 18 (see Fig, 4) smaller in width than the diameter of the recess.

Disposed in recess iii of member 15 is a plunger [9 having a tail member 20 encircled by a compression spring 2| interposed between the closed end of the recess and the plunger. The outer face of plunger !9 is concavely shaped to receive and engage one side of a spherical shaped head 22 (see Fig. 4) formed on a bolt 23 secured in any suitable manner, as by a nut 24, to crank arm l2. The connecting mechanism further comprises a cap member 26 slidably mounted on connecting rod ll and provided with a drilled hole 2'7 in axial alignment with the tap hole I! of member 55. Member 26 also is provided in alignment with recess IS with a bearing surface 28 concavely shaped to receive and engage the other side of head 22, and is provided in each lateral side with a slot 30 disposed in alignment with slots i8 formed in member I5. In addition, a pressure grease fitting 3! is provided on the outer end of cap 26 and which fitting is threaded into a drilled hole 32 communicating with the concavely shaped bearing surface 23 formed in member 26.

In assembling the connecting mechanism embodying my invention, member [5 is first threaded on connecting rod H. Then, with head 25 of bolt 23 disposed in engagement with plunger i9, cap member 26 is mounted on rod H and its concave bearing surface is brought into engagement with head 22, the shank of bolt 23 extending outwardly through the slot formed in the lateral sides of members i5 and 26. Members 55 and 26 are secured together by means of a tap bolt 3 5 screwed into the tap hole I! of member :5 and by a nut 35 threaded on connecting rod H. The tap bolt and nut are locked against loosenin by means of lock washers 3G and 37, respectively.

An advantage of a connecting mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention is that by locating the recess of member l5 laterally offset with respect to the longitudinal axis of connecting member H, considerable saving is efieeted in the weight of the parts forming the connection. This permits not only a saving in the cost of manufacture, but also reduces the strain on the threaded portion of the connecting rod. Another advantage of this construction is that improved protection is aiforded against breakage due to vibration, since vertical vibrational forces caused by traffic operating over the switch points is carried by the cap member which is secured to the connecting rod, thereby relieving the member l5 containing the relatively large recess l6 from vibrational stresses.

A further advantage of connecting mechanism embodying my invention is that such mechanism may be utilized for either right-hand or lefthand installations, and also can be arranged with the crank arm bolt located above (as shown in Fig. 1) or below the longitudinal axis of the con necting rod.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of connecting mechanism embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

1. Means for transmitting to the operating arm of a circuit controller the movement of a connecting rod adapted to be operatively connected with the point of a railway track switch whereby to detect the position of said point with respect to an associated track rail, said means comprising, in combination, an element operatively connected with said operating arm and having a substantially spherical shaped end portion, a

member threaded on said connecting rod and provided with a recess laterally offset with respect to the axis of said connecting rod, a plunger disposed in said recess and having a bearing surface concavely shaped to receive one side of the spherical end portion of said element, a compression spring disposed in said recess for urging said plunger into intimate contact with the end portion of said element, a cap member slidably mounted on said connecting rod and provided with a bearing surface concavely shaped to receive the other side of the spherical end portion of said element, and means including a nut threaded onto said connecting rod for securing said cap member to said member whereby to hold the spherical end portion of said element under pressure between the concavely shaped bearing surfaces of said plunger and said cap member.

2. In combination with a railway track switch and a switch circuit controller, a rod for connecting the switch with the controller and operatively connected with the switch, a ball-andsocket connection between said rod and the controller, said connection comprising a bolt operatively connected with the circuit controller and having a substantially spherical shaped end portion, a member threaded on the adjacent end of said rod and provided with a recess laterally offset with respect to the axis of said rod, a cap member slidably mounted on said rod and provided in axial alignment with the recess in said member with a bearing surface concavely shaped to receive one side of the spherical end portion of said bolt, means including a nut threaded on said rod for securing said cap member to said member, a plunger disposed in the recess of said member and having a bearing surface concavely shaped to receive the other side of the spherical end portion of said bolt, and a compression spring disposed in said recess for urging said plunger into intimate contact with the end portion of said bolt, whereby to hold the spherical end portion of said bolt under pressure between the concavely shaped bearing surfaces of said plunger and said cap member to absorb lost motion oc curring between said end portion and said bearing surfaces.

3. In combination with a railway track switch and a switch circuit controller, a rod for connecting the switch with the controller and operatively connected with the switch, a ball-and-socket connection between said rod and the controller, said connection comprising an element operatively connected with the circuit controller and having a substantially spherical shaped end portion, a body member threaded on the adjacent end of said rod and provided with a recess and a screw threaded hole both laterally offset with respect to the longitudinal axis of said rod, a cap member slidably mounted on said rod and provided with a bearing surface and drilled hole in axial alignment respectively with the recess and hole in said body member, said bearing surface being concavely shaped to receive one side of the spherical end portion of said element, means including a nut threaded on said rod and a tap bolt screwed in the threaded hole of said body member for sectu'ing said cap member to said body member, a plunger disposed in the recess of said body member and having a bearing surface concavely shaped to receive the other side of the spherical end portion of said element, and a compression spring disposed in said recess for urging said plunger into intimate contact with the end portion of said element, whereby to hold the spherical end portion of said element under pressure between the concavely shaped bearing surfaces of said plunger and said cap member to absorb a cylindrical recess and lost motion occurring between said end portion and said bearing surfaces.

4. The combination with a railway track switch operatively connected with a railway switch circuit controller through the medium of a connecting rod, of an improved ball-and socket connection between the rod and the switch box, said connection comprising, in combination, an ele ment operatively connected with the switch circuit controller and having a substantially spherical shaped end portion, a body member threaded on the adjacent end of the rod and provided with a screw threaded hole both of which are laterally offset with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rod, a cap member slidably mounted on said rod and having a bear ing surface and a hole disposed respectively in 20 alignment with the recess and the threaded hole of said body member, said bearing surface being concavely shaped to engage a portion of the spherical end of said element, securing means comprising a nut threaded on the rod and a tap bolt threaded in the hole of said body member for securing said cap member to said body member, a plunger disposed in the recess of said body member and having a bearing surface concavely shaped to engage another portion of the spherical end of said element, and a compression spring disposed in the recess of said body member for urging the bearing surface of said plunger into intimate contact with the end portion of said element, whereby to hold the end portion of said element under pressure between the bearing surfaces of said plunger and cap member to absorb lost motion automatically as it occurs between the end portion of said element and said bearing surfaces.

HERBERT L. BONE. 

